Compressor and electric motor combination

ABSTRACT

A compressor and electric motor combination includes a compressor including a housing, and a shaft extended out of the housing, an electric motor including a receptacle, and a spindle extended out of the receptacle, and a coupling device for coupling the shaft of the compressor and the spindle of the electric motor together and for allowing the compressor to be operated by the electric motor, without being driven by the engine of the automobile, for allowing the compressor to be actuated to operate the air conditioning system even when the engine of the automobile is stopped, and for preventing the engine of the automobile from idling.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a compressor and electric motorcombination, and more particularly to a compressor coupled to anelectric motor and rotated or driven by the electric motor, withoutbeing driven by the engine of an automobile through the rotationtransmission belt, for allowing the compressor to be operated oractuated to generate or to provide an air conditioning when the engineof the automobile is stopped.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typically, for vehicles and automobiles, an air conditioning system isan important facility to be provided and comprises a compressor coupledto an engine of the automobile through a rotation transmission means orbelt, for allowing the compressor to be operated or actuated to generateor to provide an air conditioning by the engine of the automobile.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,252 to Hattori et al., U.S. Pat. No.4,596,518 to Sumikawa, U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,727 to Steele, and U.S. Pat.No. 5,511,952 to Sato disclose four of the typical compressors for theair conditioning systems of the vehicles and the automobiles, and eachcomprising a driving shaft for coupling to an engine of the automobilethrough a magnetic clutch and a rotation transmission means or belt.

However, the typical compressors may only be operated or actuated by theengine of the automobile, and thus may not be operated or actuated whenthe engine of the automobile is stopped, such that no air conditioningmay be generated or provided when the engine of the automobile isstopped.

For decreasing carbon dioxide (CO2), many countries have banned theautomobiles to idle for more than three minutes. Without idling theengine of the automobile, the typical compressors may no longer beoperated or actuated to generate or to provide the air conditioning tothe automobiles.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate theafore-described disadvantages of the conventional compressor andelectric motor combinations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide acompressor and electric motor combination including a compressor coupledto an electric motor and rotated or driven by the electric motor,without being driven by the engine of an automobile through the rotationtransmission belt, for allowing the compressor to be operated oractuated to generate or to provide an air conditioning when the engineof the automobile is stopped.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided acompressor and electric motor combination comprising a compressorincluding a housing, and a shaft extended out of the housing, anelectric motor including a receptacle, and a spindle extended out of thereceptacle, and a coupling device for coupling the shaft of thecompressor and the spindle of the electric motor together and forallowing the compressor to be operated by the electric motor.

The coupling device includes a follower attached to the shaft of thecompressor and rotated in concert with the shaft of the compressor, anda rotary member attached to the spindle of the electric motor forallowing the rotary member to be rotated by the spindle of the electricmotor and for allowing the follower and the shaft of the compressor tobe driven by the electric motor.

The follower includes a plurality of orifices formed therein, the rotarymember includes a plurality of coupling members attached thereto andengaged into the orifices of the follower for allowing the follower andthe shaft of the compressor to be rotated by the electric motor with therotary member.

The coupling members each include a rod having a first end attached tothe rotary member, and a second end for engaging into the orifices ofthe follower. A sleeve is engaged onto the second end of each rod andengaged into the orifices of the follower for softly engaging with thefollower.

The second end of each rod includes a frustum-shaped structure forengaging with the sleeve. The rods each include a retaining ringattached to the second end of each rod for engaging with the sleeve andfor preventing the sleeve from being disengaged from the rod.

The follower is keyed to the shaft of the compressor. The rotary memberis also preferably keyed to the spindle of the electric motor.

The coupling device includes a casing disposed between the housing ofthe compressor and the receptacle of the electric motor, and secured tothe housing of the compressor and the receptacle of the electric motorfor solidly coupling the housing of the compressor and the receptacle ofthe electric motor together, and includes a chamber formed in the casingfor receiving the follower and the rotary member.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from a careful reading of the detailed description providedhereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial exploded view of a compressor and electric motorcombination in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is another partial exploded view of the compressor and electricmotor combination as seen from the opposite direction as that shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan schematic view of the compressor and electric motorcombination, in which a portion of the compressor and electric motorcombination has been cut off for showing an inner structure of thecompressor and electric motor combination; and

FIGS. 4, 5 are further partial exploded views of the compressor andelectric motor combination illustrating the coupling members of thecompressor and electric motor combination.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-3, a compressor andelectric motor combination 1 in accordance with the present inventioncomprises a compressor 10 including a housing 11, and a shaft 12extended out of the housing 11 and having one or more keys 13 extendedoutwardly from the shaft 12, and an electric motor 20 including areceptacle 21, and a spindle 22 extended out of the receptacle 21 andhaving one or more keys 23 extended outwardly from the spindle 22, inwhich several examples of the compressors have been disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 4,568,252 to Hattori et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,518 toSumikawa, U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,727 to Steele, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,952to Sato which are taken as references for the present invention.

It is to be noted that the compressor 10 may be selected from variouskinds of compressors, such as the scroll type compressors, swash-platetype compressors, or the like. The electric motor 20 may also beselected from various kinds of electric motors. The structures for thecompressor and the electric motor are typical and will not be describedin further details. The compressor and electric motor combination 1 inaccordance with the present invention further comprises a coupling meansor device 30 for coupling the compressor 10 and the electric motor 20together, particularly for coupling the shaft 12 of the compressor 10and the spindle 22 of the electric motor 20 together and for allowingthe compressor 10 to be operated or actuated by the electric motor 20 togenerate or to provide an air conditioning even when the engine of theautomobile is stopped.

The coupling means or device 30 includes a casing 31 disposed betweenthe housing 11 of the compressor 10 and the receptacle 21 of theelectric motor 20, and secured to the housing 11 of the compressor 10and the receptacle 21 of the electric motor 20 with latches or fasteners32 or the like for solidly coupling the housing 11 of the compressor 10and the receptacle 21 of the electric motor 20 together, and includes achamber 33 formed in the casing 31. A follower 34 is received in thechamber 33 of the casing 31 and includes a bore 35 formed therein forreceiving the shaft 12 of the compressor 10 and for keying with the keys13 of the shaft 12 of the compressor 10 and for solidly coupling andsecuring the follower 34 to the shaft 12 of the compressor 10 withlatches or fasteners 32 or the like and for allowing the follower 34 tobe rotated in concert with the shaft 12 of the compressor 10. Thefollower 34 further includes a number of (such as four) equally spacedorifices 36 formed therein and arranged around the bore 35 of thefollower 34.

A rotary member 40 is also received in the chamber 33 of the casing 31,and includes a bore 41 formed therein for receiving the spindle 22 ofthe electric motor 20 and for keying with the keys 23 of the spindle 22of the electric motor 20 and for coupling and securing the rotary member40 to the spindle 22 of the electric motor 20 and for allowing therotary member 40 to be rotated or driven by the spindle 22 of theelectric motor 20, and includes a number of (such as four) couplingmembers 42 attached to the rotary member 40 and equally spaced from eachother and extended out of the rotary member 40 for engaging into theorifices 36 of the follower 34 (FIG. 3) and for allowing the follower 34and the shaft 12 of the compressor 10 to be rotated or driven by theelectric motor 20 with the rotary member 40.

As shown in FIGS. 3-5, the rotary member 40 includes a number of (suchas four) apertures 43 formed therein and equally spaced from each otherand arranged around the bore 41 of the rotary member 40, and thecoupling members 42 each include a rod 44 having one end or inner end 45engaged into the apertures 43 of the rotary member 40, and/or threadedto the rotary member 40, and/or secured to the rotary member 40 withlatches or fasteners 46 or the like. The other end or outer end 47 ofeach rod 44 preferably includes a frustum-shaped structure, and a collaror sleeve 48 is engaged onto the outer end 47 of each rod 44 forengaging into the orifices 36 of the follower 34 and for softly orresiliently engaging with the follower 34, and for suitably cushionedbetween the rods 44 of the rotary member 40 and the follower 34.

A clamping or retaining ring 49 is attached onto each rod 44 forengaging with the sleeve 48 and for preventing the sleeve 48 from beingdisengaged from the rod 44. It is to be noted that the frustum-shapedrod 44 may also suitably retain the sleeve 48 on the rod 44 and may alsobe used for preventing the sleeve 48 from being disengaged from the rod44. As best shown in FIG. 3, the shaft 12 of the compressor 10 and thefollower 34, and the rotary member 40 and the spindle 22 of the electricmotor 20 are safely received and protected within the chamber 33 of thecasing 31 and may be prevented from being interfered by the otherobjects, and may allow the shaft 12 of the compressor 10 and thefollower 34 to be effectively rotated or driven by the electric motor20.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 3, the electric motor 20 may be energizedand actuated or operated by the electric energy from the batteries ofthe vehicles or automobiles in order to rotate or drive the compressor10 with the coupling means or device 30, and so as to actuate thecompressor 10 to generate or to provide an air conditioning even whenthe engine of the automobile is stopped, such that the vehicles orautomobiles are no longer required to be idled to maintain the engineand to provide the air conditioning to the driver and the passengers,and such that the fuel consumption rate may be greatly decreased, andthe carbon dioxide (CO2) may be suitably decreased.

Accordingly, the compressor and electric motor combination in accordancewith the present invention includes a compressor coupled to an electricmotor and rotated or driven by the electric motor, without being drivenby the engine of an automobile through the rotation transmission belt,for allowing the compressor to be operated or actuated to generate or toprovide an air conditioning when the engine of the automobile isstopped.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure hasbeen made by way of example only and that numerous changes in thedetailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

1. A compressor and electric motor combination comprising: a compressorincluding a housing, and a shaft extended out of said housing, anelectric motor including a receptacle, and a spindle extended out ofsaid receptacle, and means for coupling said shaft of said compressorand said spindle of said electric motor together and for allowing saidcompressor to be operated by said electric motor.
 2. The compressor andelectric motor combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein said couplingmeans includes a follower attached to said shaft of said compressor androtated in concert with said shaft of said compressor, and a rotarymember attached to said spindle of said electric motor for allowing saidrotary member to be rotated by said spindle of said electric motor andfor allowing said follower and said shaft of said compressor to bedriven by said electric motor.
 3. The compressor and electric motorcombination as claimed in claim 2, wherein said follower includes aplurality of orifices formed therein, said rotary member includes aplurality of coupling members attached thereto and engaged into saidorifices of said follower for allowing said follower and said shaft ofsaid compressor to be rotated by said electric motor with said rotarymember.
 4. The compressor and electric motor combination as claimed inclaim 3, wherein said coupling members each include a rod having a firstend attached to said rotary member, and a second end for engaging intosaid orifices of said follower.
 5. The compressor and electric motorcombination as claimed in claim 4, wherein a sleeve is engaged onto saidsecond end of each rod and engaged into said orifices of said followerfor softly engaging with said follower.
 6. The compressor and electricmotor combination as claimed in claim 5, wherein said second end of eachrod includes a frustum-shaped structure for engaging with said sleeve.7. The compressor and electric motor combination as claimed in claim 5,wherein said rods each include a retaining ring attached to said secondend of each rod for engaging with said sleeve and for preventing saidsleeve from being disengaged from said rod.
 8. The compressor andelectric motor combination as claimed in claim 2, wherein said followeris keyed to said shaft of said compressor.
 9. The compressor andelectric motor combination as claimed in claim 2, wherein said rotarymember is keyed to said spindle of said electric motor.
 10. Thecompressor and electric motor combination as claimed in claim 1, whereinsaid coupling means includes a casing disposed between said housing ofsaid compressor and said receptacle of said electric motor, and securedto said housing of said compressor and said receptacle of said electricmotor for solidly coupling said housing of said compressor and saidreceptacle of said electric motor together, and includes a chamberformed in said casing for receiving said follower and said rotarymember.